Automatic spindle resetting mechanism



Feb. 22, 1938. RlCHTER 5 2,109,140

AUTOMAT I'C SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1955 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl. 13--l- 1*. n mar Feb. 22, 1938. M CHTE ETA 2,109,140

AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1935 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 l J. Eng.

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Feb. 22, 1938. M. RICHTER ET AL 2,109,140

AUTOMATIC SPINDL E RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 2a, 1935 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 IJVVE TOR-S: Maw Bwh r 4.

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ATTORNE 22, 1938. RICHTER ET AL 2,109,140

AUTOMATIC SPINDLE BESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1955 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 I IN VEN TORS Maxflichiizr fizizwjamm,

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M. RICHTER ET AL 2,109,140

AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1935 0 Z1 Z0 l 270 O i INVENTORS: Maaqflwizir I BY .Jizhwsfi ATTORN 14 She ets-Sheet 7 Feb. 22, 1938. M. RICHTER ETAL' ,1

AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1935 14 Shets-Sheet 8 Feb; 22, 1938. RlCHTER ET AL 2,109,140

" AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28', 19:55 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 J5 as isq,

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Feb. 22, 1938. M. RICHTER ET AL 2,109,140

AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1935 l4 Sheets-Sheet l1 F1 Gil? its--13,

Feb. 22, 1938. M. RICHTER ET AL 2,109,140

I AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1935 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 M. RICHTER ET AL AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESEI'ITING MECHANISM am 3 9 1 2 2 h e F Filed May 28, 1935 14 Sheets-Sheetl3 INYENTORS:

Max Ziwhir Juan-age ATTORNEY: I

Feb. 22, 1938. M R|cHTER 1 AL 2,109,140

AUTOMATIC SPINDLE RESETTING MECHANISM Filed May 28, 1935 l4 Sheets-Sheet l4 Mwwflichir &

Juliusli miss,

INVENTORS:

Patented Feb. 22, 193 8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Max Richter, West Reading, and Julius Bareiss, Wyomissing, Pa., assignors to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvanla Application May 28, 1935, Serial No. 23,834

29 Claims. (01. 66-89) This invention, relating to improvements in in conjunction with the mechanism for resetting full fashioned knitting machines, is more particuthe narrowing devices. These resetting mechalarly directed to a new and improved automatnism adiuncts are: connections between the main ically operated means for resetting the yarn carcam shaft and the resetting device providing a rier and narrowing mechanisms of such machines. variable in the operating speed of the latter; an

In a straight knitting machine of the type for auxiliary control shaft and pattern chain control producing full-fashioned stockings, the knitting elements carried thereby, which are operated by needles are supplied with yarn by one or more but independently of the main cam shaft; and reciprocating yarn carriers, the traversing movethe construction and arrangement of the moving l0 ment of which is gradually decreased in accordelements of the resetting mechanism and control ance with the given pattern of the article being devices therefor in such manner as to have pracknit and in conjunction with the operation of the tically no strain or wear in use. narrowing point control devices, as to effect a With these and other objects inview, which narrowing or fashioning ofthe fabric. This narwill become apparent from the following detailed rowing of stocking blanks is common in the indescription of the illustrative embodiments of the .15 stant art, and heretofore the devices for efiecting invention shown in the accompany aw the same have been mechanically operated our invention resides in the novel elements of through connections to the actuating mechanism construction, devices and combination of parts in of the knitting machine, that is, the narrowing cooperative relationship, as hereinafter more parmechanism has been controlled substantially auticularly set forth in the claims. 20 tomatically during the knitting. It has, however, In the drawings: in these known prior machines been required to Figure 1 is a front elevational view of aiullmanually reset certain of the actuating elements. fashioned knitting machine, this view showing of the narrowing mechanism to original or starton y the left Side Portion Such im m h n ing position at the completion of each stocking and having operatively associated therewith the 25 blank, and during the time needed for this renovel mechanism of this inventi n;

adjustment or resetting the machine mustbe held 2 1S a e e d e va ion 0 the mac ine inoperative. of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale and with the ma- It is an object of this invention to provide chine frame shown only in dotted lines to clarify 0 novel means in a full-fashioned knitting machine the illustration of certain portions normally covwhich permits the operation of the machine to ered by Su f continue with the knitting of the welt portion of Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the portion of the a stocking blank immediately upon the completion machine shown in Fig. I of the previously knit blank. Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the rear Another object of the invention is to provide P f t e mechanism ow a he left of 35 means for automatically operating the narrowing Fig. mechanism of a full-fashioned knitting machine Fig. 5 is a front elevational view on a still o e t t e same to its Starting position during larger scale of the embodiment of the invention in such time as the knitting mechanism of the maits attachment to the end of a full-fashioned knitchine is functioning. ting machine; 40

A further object of the invention is to provide g- 6 s an E elevation looking oml c le t a new and improved mechanism adapted to autoin Fig. matically and simultaneously reset all of the com- Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the machine posite elements of the narrowing mechanism, e. g. taken approximately on the line '|'l of Fig. 1; the yarn-carrier end stops and the narrowing Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 6 45 Point showing in elevation the ratchet and pawl ele- The present invention also contemplates the ments of this invention; I provision in a straight knitting machine of a Fig. 9 is a detail view similar to Fig. 2, on a novel auxiliary stop device, whereby the yarn carlarger scale, showing the improved mechanism in rlers may be operated independently of the regu: one particular phase of its cycle of operation; 50 lar end stop devices, the same being particularly Figs. 10 and 11 are views similar to Fig. 9 eiflcacious in association with means formechanshowing such mechanism in other phases in its ically resetting the narrowing mechanism. cycle of operation; I Several useful and novel time-saving attach- Fig. 121s a fragmentary view in elevation of the ments are provided by this invention to operate pawl and ratchet elements; 55

, loop shape, indicating the portions along the v Fig. 13 is aview taken on line l3l3 in Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig, 14 is a section taken on line I4-l4 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view taken on line I5'l5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 16 is a similar view taken on line Iii-l6 of Fi 9;

Fig. 17 is a detail sectional View taken on line l1--|lofFig.6;

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 17 showing the elements in the operating position thereof corresponding to the showing in Fig. 10;

Fig. 19 is a sectional view taken on line l9l9 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 20 is a view taken on line 2Il2ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 21 is a detail, cross-sectional view taken on line 2I-2I of Fig. 1, to illustrate the aux-I iliary stop mechanism;

Fig. 22 is a detail sectional view taken on line blank to. which the automatic resetting devices are operated and the corresponding links of the chains by which such operations are effected; and

Figs. 25 to 30, inclusive, are diagrammatic views of the relationship between certain of the elements of a straight knitting machine during a complete cycle in the operation of the machine, such views corresponding to the positions indicated along the blank of Fig. 21.

In order to facilitate a complete understanding of the present invention, we shall first briefly describe a full-fashioned stocking blank along with certain straight knitting machine elements and their function at various formative stages of the blank. As is well known, a full-fashioned stocking blank is produced by the successive operation of the needle and loop forming mechanism of the machine and such devices operate to provide continuous courses from the welt or starting point of the blank to the heel or toe portion thereof. At certain portions in the length of a blank the width of the courses is automati' cally decreased to provide the certain well known full-fashioned construction. It will be apparent from an understanding of the machines of this type that the narrowing mechanisms, including the loop transfer points and the various thread or yarn carrying mechanisms, are moved relatively closer one to the other at the finish of a stocking blank than they were at the start.

Accordingly, it is necessary to reset or reposition such narrowing and yarn carrier devices to their original position before starting the next successive blank. In all machines prior to this invention, so far as we are aware, this operation has been carried on by the manual manipulation of the resetting devices, a machine being inoperative at such time or in'certain of the semi-automatic machines of a lesser known type while the resetting device may be somehow reset mechanically, the machine also being incapable of performing any knitting function until the aforesaid thread carrier and narrowing mechanisms are at their starting positions.

As hereinbefore stated, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus adaptable for a straight 0 full-fashioned knitting machine whereby the same may be mechanically operated in a more efficient manner than possible heretofore. With the improved machine which is to be disclosed in detail in the following description, the several instrumentalities and mechanisms necessary for the formation of a full-fashioned stocking blank are individually and collectively automatically operated, and all of such operations are performed within the time required to complete the knitting of the courses in the full-fashioned stocking blank.

I In the operation of a full-fashioned knitting machine, the start of the knitting constitutes the welt portion of the stocking, this welt being the widest part of the stocking blank. To the lower edge of the welt is knit the leg portion of the stocking and throughout the latter at various points the courses are decreased in width; as for example at the knee section, loop transfer points engage several of the outermost loops in a course and move the same inwardly two needles on each side. Thus, when the blank reaches the. heel portion it is considerably narrower than when started, and at this latter position the narrowing is continued to reduce the width of the heel tabs.

The full cycle in the knitting of a full-fashioned leg blank is shown in several of its various phases in the Figs. 25 to 30, inclusive, wherein are illustrated certain conventional elements of a straight knitting machine including a needle bank, yarn carrying mechanism and means for regulating the extent of travel thereof relative to the needles, the narrowing device and the means for simultaneously actuating the transfer points at both ends of each bank of needles.

These diagrammatic views are arranged to I the new and improved mechanisms of this invention, in which for clearness only those parts of the various mechanisms necessary for an understanding'of the invention are shown; the other parts and mechanisms and the operation thereof being well known in the art, as shown and described in the Reading Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine Catalogue, copyright 1929, published by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania.

It is, however, intended that the present novel automatically controlled device may be adapted to so called footers, or other types of straight knitting machines, including narrowing mecha'-- nisms and movable end stop devices for the yarn carriers, which require the operating elements of the narrowing mechanisms to be reset at the completion of the knitting so as to be in position for the start of the next article.

As has been stated in the foregoing, it is customary in straight knitting machines of the full-fashioned type to employ narrowing devices and actuating mechanisms therefor, which function together with the knitting elements to effect a decrease in the width of a blank; the same being ordinarily constituted in the arrangement of a series of narrowing or transfer points at the selvedge edges of the blank, which points are actuated to engage a plurality of the outermost loops in a course, to pick up such loops from the knitting needles and to then transfer the same inwardly of the blank to different needles in the same course. Usually the decrease in the width of the blank is at the rate of four loops (two at each side of the stocking) at every operation of the narrowing'mechanism' Accordingly, it will be apparent from an understanding of such well known narrowing mechanisms, that at the completion of .each blank the 'yarn carriers and the transfer points will be relatively close together, and the. same must therefore be reset to initial positions preparatory to starting another blank. This has been done in the past by manually manipulating the appropriate resetting devices for both the narrowing and yarn carrier devices.

This invention provides a new and improved mechanism which is automatically operated by certain of the movable parts of a knitting machine to bring about an automatic resetting of the narrowing and carrier control elements, and

one form thereof, illustrated in" the accompanying drawings, is applied-to a "Reading" fullfashioned stocking knitting machine in such manner as to require little or no change in the regular organization of the machine parts.

Referring now, to the speciflc showing in said drawings, the full-fashioned knitting machine for which the invention is adapted, includes the usual center and end frames III, a front rail l2, a back rail l3, a front bed I4, and a center bed l in the usual assembly and upon which the operating partsof the machine are positioned. A series of journal members are fixed to the frames Ill for supporting the various shafts and like elements which are operated by cam discs carried by a main cam shaft IS, the latter being rotatably and axially shiftably supported by the machine frames.

As is usual in a machine of this type, there are provided knitting needle sections l'l fixedly carried at the upper end of needle bars to which are imparted the required vertical and horizontal movements by means of rocker arms l8 and I!) which are periodically operated by suitable cams on the main shaft l6. Operatively associated with the knitting needle sections are sinker-head assemblies 20, including the usual sinkers, dividers, jacks, catch bar, the slurring cam 2| and the catch bar lever 22, all of which are operated at the proper time by connections to the shaft I6 (some of these detail construction parts being shown in Figs. -1 and 7 and others not being shown).

Cooperating with the needle and loop forming elements are yarn guide devices 25 (only one of which is shown in the drawings) fixed toone or more carrier bars 26 which are intermittently reciprocated longitudinally of the machine by the well known couliering motion device. The extent of the travel of such carriers limits the widthwise dimension of the article being knit, which together with the loop transfer points of the narrowing mechanism permits the production of a full-fashioned stocking blank.

The yarn carrier bars 26 extend lengthwise of the machine and are adapted for actuation by friction boxes (not shown). At each end of the machine, on the center bed, is mounted an endstop device 33, comprising a longitudinally movtive end-stop nuts.

able threaded block or nut 3|, which is supported upon an end-stop spindle or threaded screw 32, the spindles 32 at each end of the machine being reversely threaded to provide for the simultaneous approach and retraction of the respec- The two screws or spindles 32 are actuated by devices, to be presently described, to move in unison. Suitable individual end stops for the several carrier bars are provided in an extension 33 on the nut 31, and these together with other mechanisms 35 and 36','shown denoted at 35 and 36 in Fig. 3, constitute means for selectively limiting the longitudinal movement of one or any combination of such carriers. The. aforesaid control mechanisms 35 and 36 are described in detail in Patent No. 2,090,599, issued to Max Richter on August 17, 1938. So much of said Richter patent as is briefly shown herein,

3 comprises automatically operated means for selecting and operating the movements of the yarn carrier bar individual stop devices. Insofar as the present invention may be concerned, it is necessary only that the well known yarn carrier and stop mechanism be advanced automatically so as to shorten the travel of the yarn guide whenever the width of the stocking blank is to be decreased. The carrier bars 26 are shown in the drawings as being selectively engaged by end stops 38 which are moved longitudinally of the machine by means of the threaded spindles 32, and which are moved in and out of operative position through the manipulation of the mechanisms 35 and 36. As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the arm 36 is carried by a rock shaft 31 at the rear of the machine and is actuated by means of a cam link on the chain control device 39.

In the operation of the aforesaid individual end stop automatic control device, and as may be seen in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the arm 36 carries at its end adjacent to the end stops, a longitudinally extending finger member which is adapted to engage a projection on the individual stop lifting and lowering device 35 throughout the entire longitudinal movement of the latter as it is carried by the end stop spindle nut 3|. It is necessary only, in order to understand the association of such automatic end stop device and the operating elements of this invention, to explain that, at the completion of the knitting of a stocking blank, the individual end stops 38 are raised relatively to the correspondingly active carrier bars by means of the devices 35 and 36. 7 Of course, at such time the carrier bars are free'to move independently of the end stop devices and it is customary to move these bars to their extreme outer positions in order to permit the pressing 'off of the blank from the knitting mechanism. The carrier bars then normally remain in this outermost position until such time as the narrowing mechanism and end stop devices are reset.

The rock shaft 31, the chain control device 39 and the means by which such elements are opusual operation of the machine at certain different points from the welt to the heel or toe portion, the width of the stocking is decreased to provide the known features of a full-fashioned stocking. The transfer points 48 are carried by longitudinally extending bars or rods 4|, which have their ends terminating adjacent to the narrowing nuts 42, certain projections or shoes 43 on the nuts cooperating with adjacent studs 44 on the barsto transmit motion to the transfer points. As is usual, reversely threaded spindles 45 engage with each pair of the nuts 42 and upon rotation move such nuts toward and away from each other in unison.

This detailed description of the several es-- end stop devices to their starting positions before,

initiating the knitting of a subsequent blank. customarily, after a blank is pressed ofi the needles, the machine is held inoperative and each of the screw spindles 32 and 45 is manually turned back by means of hand cranks in association with such spindles.

It has been found desirable in line with the trend to completely automatically mechanize all the elements of the full-fashioned knitting machine, to devise a simple and efficient mechanism operated from the cam shaft or other moving element of the machine, by which the backracking or resetting of the several narrowing devices is automatically accomplished without an interruption in the knitting.

In the herein disclosed embodiment of the invention, the narrowing and yarn carrier end stop actuating spindles 45 and 32, respectively,

are rotatably journaled in bearing blocks 50 and 5|, secured to certain fixed frame or bed elements of the machine at each end thereof. The spindles 45 and 32 are held from longitudinal movement by the blocks 50 and 5| and each projected beyond the end frame of the machine to receive thereon the devices by which such spindles are rotated.

As best seen in Fig. 8, the projecting end 55 of the narrowing spindle, has fixedly mounted thereon a set of ratchet discs 56 and the end 5'[ of the carrier stop spindle 32 has a similar set of ratchet discs 58 attached to it. These several ratchet discs as will be described, are peripherally toothed or notched in one or both directions and are intended through their operative engagement with automatically actuated pawls to impart the necessary rotation to the narrowing and yarn carrier stop spindles through each complete cycle of the machine operation.

In each set of the narrowing spindle ratchet discs 56, there is included one disc 59 adapted to cooperate with a pawl 60 carried by a bell crank 6| mounted axially of the spindle (see Fig. 12). The crank BI is connected to the upper end of a lever or arm 52 secured to a vertically reciprocable yoked arm 63 as at 84. The yoke arm 63 has a stroke sufficient to cause the pawl 60 to advance the ratchet disc 59 two teeth equal to a distance of two needles. A similar ratchet disc 65 is provided in the set 58 on the carrier end-stop spindle 32, and this disc cooperates with the pawl 66 carried by one arm of a bell crank 61 rotatably mounted on the end 51 of the spindle 32. The other arm 88 of bell crank 61 is pivotally connected to the upper end of another lever or arm Ill of yoke arm 63. The teeth of the disc 65 are spaced such that, upon the upward stroke of the yoke arm 63, the pawl 66 will advance the disc 65 a distance of one tooth, or two needles.

The yoke arm 83 is carried at its upper ends by means of the bell cranks GI and El and also by means of a connection II at the lower end 13 of said yoke arm to a lifter arm 12, such lifter arm forming a well known part of the narrowing mechanism of the Reading full-fashioned knitting machine and may therefore be described only briefly. The main cam shaft l6 of the machine is provided with a cam 15 slidable in and out of operative engagement with a cam roller 18 on the arm 12; such cam .15 being shifted with the cam shaft relative to the roller by suitable connections to the usual main chain motion device 18. The lifter arm 12 is pivoted at its front end to the machine frame and any rocking movement imparted thereto as by the cam 15 will cause the vertical reciprocation of yoke arm 63 and a consequent functioning of the pawls B and 66 to rotate the spindles 45 and 32 in their narrowing movement. As it is required that the narrowing movements of both the transfer points and the yarn carrier end stops be coordinated, there is provided a link 80 pivotally attached to corresponding projections 8| and 82 on the pawls 68 and 86, respectively, thus both pawls being in-- sured of simultaneous operative engagement with thediscs 59 and 65.

Other discs 85 and 85 are respectively provided on the spindle ends 55 and 57 and form a part of the previously mentioned disc sets 58 and 58 in which the several ratchet discs are united to each other and to their respective shafts. Cooperating with each of said discs 85 and 86 are spring pressed detents 8'! and 88 respectively, carried at the lower ends of vertically moved plungers 89 and 90, which are mounted in upright extensions 9i and .82 on the journal brackets 50 and for the narrowing and carrier end-stop spindles.

In operation, the detents serve to prevent any lost motion between the spindle shafts and their indexing mechanisms as for instance when the pawls are beingdrawn backwardlyby the yoke arm 53 to engage the next succession of ratchet teeth. To prevent undue friction or wear in the parts and as especially adapted to the present novel back-racking mechanism, certain means are provided for automatically engaging and disengaging such detents with the ratchet discs 85 and 86. Referring particularly to Fig. 5, the plunger 89 carrying the detent 81 for resisting the movement of the narrowing nut spindle 45, is provided with a laterally projecting pin 95, which is engaged by a cam lever 96; the operation of such cam lever to be more fully described hereinafter, it beingv obvious that if such lever 96 be rocked in a-counterclockwise direction about its pivot, the detent 81 will be lifted thereby and the disc 85 free to rotate. Manual means in the form of a pivoted lifter arm 91. is providedfor' the purpose of manually lifting the detent 81 as when the machine is being adjusted or regulated, this arm 81 remaining in its operative engagement at all times with the plunger 89, but in no way interfering with the automatic control of the detent 81.

Similarly, the plunger 93 and detent 83 of the narrowing end-stop spindle mechanism are manually controllable by a pivoted lifter arm 99. Means, such as a lateral pin I on the plunger 30 in engagement with a pivoted cam lever IIII, are provided for automatically lifting the detent- 81 at the. proper time in the cycle of machine operation.

In the operation of a full-fashioned knitting machine, the main cam shaft through the medium of cam lugs on the main pattern chain is periodically and automatically actuated to establish connection between cam 15 and roller 16, and to thus rotate the two spindles l and 32 in their narrowing movement. The'resetting of the spindles has in the past been accomplished by means of a hand crank engageable with the outer ends of the narrowing nut and the carrier bar stop spindle shafts.

These hand cranks have been retained in connection with the present novel mechanism in order to permit of certain manual adjustment between the two spindles as when changing. the machine set up and are designated in the drawings by numerals I02, I02. Compression springs (not shown) tend to keep the couplings III3 on the crank and spindle hubs normally out of engagement. i

The machine is operated in the well known manner in its plain knitting. During narrowing the machine is operated as caused by the intermittent actuation-of the yoke arm 63 by the cam shaft as has been described. The pawls 60 and 66 are normally pressed toward engagement with the discs 59 and B5 and as the yoke 63 moves upwardly the spindles and 32 are indexed in their narrowing movement. This relationship of parts prevails throughout the knitting of the stocking, 1. e. from the point when the numerous instrumentalities herein disclosed and described are back-racked or reset to original positions and thenceforth until the stocking blank is finished. The interval, in a complete cycle in the operation of the knitting machine to complete a stocking blank, at which time the back-racking or resetting of the end stops and narrowing points is effected, as has been stated, is so coordinated as to take 'place after the start of the knitting upon the next blank. In other words, the present invention makes possible the complete actuation of all the machine instrumentalities in the time interval required to knit the courses of a stock ing blank..

Not only are the narrowing rod and end stop devices of the present embodiment of the inven tion positively and automatically actuated, thus serving to enhance the efliciency of the machine, but the saving of the time interval necessary to manually operate the resetting of such mechanisms is made possible through the medium of the new and improved mechanism.

In Figs. 2 and '7 there is shown an auxiliary control shaft III'I journaled in bearings at the rear of the machine. This auxiliary control shaft is provided to function as a control mechanism for certain of the automatic devices, as for example the pawl positioning cams of the resetting mechanism and the operating devices for the auxiliary stop mechanism to be described, and suitable connections are provided between. the main cam shaft I6 and the auxiliary shaft IIfl to intermittently rotate the latter.

In Fig. 7 is shown the crank arm I I2 pivotally supported upon a shaft II3 carried by the main frame of the machine, this crank having at one end a portion for latching cooperation with a release lever Ill pivotally mounted about a vertical axis on the front rail I2 and having an arm I I5 operatively connected at its lower end to a horizontal rod extending along the front of the machine to the main chain device I8 of the machine. The other end III; of lever U2 is con-.- nected by a link III to an oscillating crank arm II8 supported by the auxiliary control shaft I III. The arm IIB has journaled therein a cam follower II! which, when the crank arm is released by the lever IIQ, engages a cam I20 for operation thereby to move the link I I1 back and forth and thus oscillate the crank arm III!" about its mounting.

Also carried upon the shaft III) and fixed thereto, is a ratchet wheel or disc I22 which is engaged by a pawl I23 pivotally mounted on the arm H8. The cam I23 by reason of its contour,

rocks the ratchet wheel through a distance equal to the pitch of a tooth of a sprocket wheel I25 carried'by the auxiliary control shaft IID, this action imparting a clockwise movement to such control shaft.

A spring m attached to the back rail of the 2s machine by a suitable hook, is attached to an extension I26 on the'link member III thereby acting either to cause the roller II! to follow the contour of cam I2I I or to keep the same out of engagement therewith by holding the lower portion of arm II2 in'contact with the release lever III. It will be obvious that, by a proper positioning of selector buttons on the main pattern chain, the auxiliary control shaft may be intermittently actuated at any time during the rotation of the main cam shaft.

The auxiliary control shaft III) is adapted to provide a control means, operated by, but independently of, the main cam shaft, for effecting the automatic actuation of the spindle resetting device, and also for controlling the movements of the individual end stop lifting mechanism and of the auxiliary stop device. Suitable variable pattern devices or chains I28 and I29, are carried by sprocket wheels I 25 and I30, respectively, (see Fig. 4), and these chains are held in operative position on the sprocket wheels by means of idler wheels I3I carried by brackets I32 secured to the back rail I3. Each chain comprises .a series of links, the upper surfaces of which provide cams for engagement with certain of the control devices, as will be presently described.

The function of a full-fashioned knitting machine and its cyclic control main pattern chain is so well understood that it is sufficient to say that each of the chain links represents a plain or narrowed course of the article knit thereby and that such chain is so arranged and'provided with cam buttons or projections that the controls actuated thereby are brought into play at the no proper time intervals. Likewise, the chains I23 and I 29 and their construction are suiiiciently well known as to need no detailed description.

There is, however, an important feature in the present arrangement and use of the chains I23 and I28 that forms a part of this invention. The rock shaft 31 described above, has fixed thereto a bell crank lever I35 carrying at the extremity of its arms I36 and I3! oppositely disposed cam rollers I38 and I39. are mounted at each side of the arm I35 and, as will best be seen in Fig. 9, the rollers I33 and I33 extending oppositely to one another overlay the surface of such pattern chains and contact with The chains I23 and I23 the cain links thereof. By this construction a pawl 60.

is a sleeve I51 provided with a cam surface I58 positive drive may be imparted to the rock shaft 31 throughout its entire movement. This feature is found to be very important in providing a precision actuating device for the control mechanism of the resetting device. The cam links on the two pattern chains as will be best seen from the diagrammatic view of Fig. 24, are complementarily formed.

The lengthsof chains I28 and- I29 are, in this instance, shorter than that of the main pattern chain of the machine. Although each chain makes a complete circuit in a full cycle of the machines operation, the number of operations required of the chains I28 and I29 is considerably less than required of the main chain, wherefore, it will be understood that the supplemental pattern chains I20 and I23 are inactive during a. considerable part of the knitting of the blank.

As referred tov above, the rock shaft 31, has fixed thereto an oscillating arm I40, having attached to its outer end through suitable forked links MI and I42, a pair of laterally extending bars or rods I43 and I44, respectively. Upon these two bars are carried the several cams and other mechanisms adapted to cooperate with the pawls and ratchet wheels of the spindle resetting mechanisms. It will be obvious that the 'rod I43 is reciprocated transversely of the machine in a substantial horizontal line through its connections with the arm I40, rock shaft 31 and crank lever I35 by means of the auxiliarypattern chains I28 and I29.

As will appear from the following detailed description of this mechanism, the reciprocating rod I43 has four distinct and separate positions in its operative movement and in each of said positions it moves the cam devices carried thereby to produce a different set of results in the resetting pawl and ratchet mechanism.

In Fig. 2 the spindle resetting mechanism is shown in its condition as when the yoke arm 63 is operating to index the spindles 45 and 32 in their forward or narrowing movement, the pawls 60 and 66 being shown in engagement with the ratchet wheels 58 and 65. Cooperating with the pawl 65 and carried by the rod I43 is a depending cam I45, this cam engaging a laterally projecting stud I46 on the pawl 66.

A cam element I41 pivotally mounted upon bracket I50 (to be described) has a depending cam I48 adapted to engage a stud I48 on the Secured to the reciprocating bar I43 which is designed to cooperate with an operating extension of the cam element I41. This extension has a cam engaging finger I59 which, as the cam I58 is moved with the bar I43 causes a resultant movement of the cam toward or away movement of the yoke arm 63 has no effect upon these twopawls.

A bracket structure I50 adjacent to the ends of spindle shafts 45 and 32, is secured to the brackets 50 and I on the end of the machine by bolts I5I, and this bracket structure provides a.

mounting for numerous other instrumentalities Before proceeding with further details of the mechanisms carried by or actuated by the reciprocating bar I43, a description of the auxiliary or supplemental pawls will now be given. Pivotally mounted upon the yoke arm 63 at I60 and I6I, are a pair of back-racking pawls I62 and I63, respectively. The pawl I62 is adapted to engage a ratchet disc I64 forming a part of the set 56 on the narrowing nut spindle shaft, and the pawl I63 is adapted to engage with a ratchet disc I65 secured to the carrier bar end-stop spindle end 51 andforming a part of the set 58. Tension springs I66 and I61 attached between studs on the yoke arm 63 and two pawls I62 and I63, respectively, tend to force the upper ends of such pawls into engagement with their cooperating ratchet discs and thus any vertical upward movement of the arm 63 with the pawls in such condition will bring about a counterclockwise rotation of thespindle shafts 45 and 32. The detents 81 and 08, which as described above, cooperate with disc wheels 85 and 86, act to prevent backward movement of the discs I64 and I65 as the arm 63 moves downwardly and the pawls carried thereby are dragged over the surfaces of such discs.

The two pawls just referred to and constituting a part of the mechanism for back racking or resetting the narrowing bar and end stop spindles, are shown in operative relation in Fig. 10,-

wherein the reciprocating bar I43 is moved to the left and the forward racking pawls 60 and 66 thus inoperatively positioned. Another cam I10 fixedly secured to the bar I43 having its engaging surface adapted to cooperate with a laterally projecting stud I1I on the pawl I62 controls the operating position of the latter. It will be seen that as the bar I43 is moved to the left of the several figures to inoperatively position the forward racking pawls, such movement will also carry the cam I10 away from the pin Ill and thus permit the spring I86 to draw this latter pawl into engagement with the disc I64. Another cam l13vcarried upon a slide I14 on the bar I43, projects into the path of a stud I projecting from the pawl I63, see Fig. 13. Similarly, if the cam I13.be moved to the left of Fig. 6, the pawl I63 is permitted to operatively engage its ratchet disc on the carrier bar end-stop spindle.

As will be described, the cam I13 is at one time in the machine's operation, independently movable with respect to the cam I10. The slide I 14 is normally immovably held upon the bar I43 against a stop I15 by means of springs I 16. Attached to the end I11 of bell crank I54, is a link element I18 having its other end I19 provided with an elongated slot in which is received a stud I80 projecting from an arm I8I (see Fig. 19) of another bell crank I82. A suitable adjusting screw I83 is supported by the link I18 to regulate the contact between such link and stud I80. The other end I84 of crank I82 is bifurcated and straddles the slide I14, 2. spring I85 being employed to hold the stud I80 against the screw I83. Movement of bar I43 to the left still fur- 

